[SOLVED] Should i RMA the RAM?

BejoBarokah

Commendable
Sep 8, 2020
30
0
1,530
Hey, so i build a new PC with specs :
  • AMD Ryzen 5 3600
  • Asrock B550M Pro4
  • T-FORCE Delta RGB 8 GB x 2 DDR4 RAM
  • Gigabyte RX 580 8 GB
  • WD Blue 1 TB 3.5" HDD
  • Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 2.5" HDD
  • Seasonic GX-550 PSU
I faced a few problems that makes me suspect the RAM is the culprit, as :
  • Random freezes on Linux Mint live USB with 2 stick of RAMs
  • memtest completely freezing with 2 stick of RAMs (As i remember at phase 1 around 56%)
  • When installing Linux Mint 20, got Error 5 : Input/Output error. When trying 1 stick of RAM at a time, one RAM makes the installer stuck, possibly freezing, the other just installing succesfully
  • With 2 stick of RAMs, it seems when the RAM usage is higher than about 8 GB, the whole PC freeze (i tested by opening 100+ Youtube tabs on Firefox and monitoring the RAM usage via System Monitor, it was 7+ GB RAM usage before crashing). With the fine RAM, even with heavy RAM usage the system is mostly stable, even if it's starting to stutter when it almost reaching 8 GB
  • Stuck on booting when using the suspected RAM, no issues with the other one
In short everything fine with 1 RAM, random freezes with both RAM, and generally frequent freezes with the suspected RAM.

Also, i have tried switching RAM slot, with the suspected RAM, problem persists. With the other one it works just fine, even i managed to run CSGO and TF2 on it. No problem with the other RAM so far.

Well, it have Limited Lifetime warranty, so i'm gonna RMA it. It's just i'm not sure if that was the RAM or something else since AFAIK faulty RAM is rare(?) and both RAMs are detected on BIOS and OS. Also if it's not the RAM fault then it's useless to RMA, when shipping internationally isn't exactly cheap, not to mention the possibility of damage during shipping.

Also, because the RAM slot and PCIe slot is so close together, i managed to make the RGB plastic cover get a strip of stress mark on it whether when install the VGA/RAM or uninstalling them. Just making sure is it possibly related? or if not will that void warranty?

Any advice when RMA-ing RAM? Since this will be my first time.

Thanks
 
WHICH DIMM slots did you try using with both DIMMs installed?

You SHOULD only be using the A2 and B2 slots, which are the second and fourth slots away from the CPU, with the fourth slot being the one closest to the edge of the motherboard. If you are trying to use any other slots than those for two DIMM configurations you will probably run into problems. If those are not the slots you have been attempting to use, then I would move them to those slots, reset the BIOS and try again after enabling the A-XMP profile in the BIOS.

If those ARE the slots you've attempting to use, try each stick individually in the A2 slot, which is the second DIMM slot away from the CPU, with EACH stick of memory, separately, one at a time. If either stick presents problems that the other one does not, WHILE installed in that DIMM slot, then RMA the entire memory kit. Do NOT accept a single stick replacement. Send and insist upon replacement of the entire kit. Memory is sold in matched sets for a reason and replacing them piecemeal defeats the entire purpose of that and usually only results in additional problems when the unmatched replacement stick does not want to play nice with your original stick or sticks.

Before you run Memtest again however, make sure you have the latest BIOS version for your motherboard installed. Use ONLY the stick you know is not causing you any problems when you update the BIOS, IF a BIOS update is available.
 

BejoBarokah

Commendable
Sep 8, 2020
30
0
1,530
WHICH DIMM slots did you try using with both DIMMs installed?

You SHOULD only be using the A2 and B2 slots, which are the second and fourth slots away from the CPU, with the fourth slot being the one closest to the edge of the motherboard. If you are trying to use any other slots than those for two DIMM configurations you will probably run into problems. If those are not the slots you have been attempting to use, then I would move them to those slots, reset the BIOS and try again after enabling the A-XMP profile in the BIOS.

If those ARE the slots you've attempting to use, try each stick individually in the A2 slot, which is the second DIMM slot away from the CPU, with EACH stick of memory, separately, one at a time. If either stick presents problems that the other one does not, WHILE installed in that DIMM slot, then RMA the entire memory kit. Do NOT accept a single stick replacement. Send and insist upon replacement of the entire kit. Memory is sold in matched sets for a reason and replacing them piecemeal defeats the entire purpose of that and usually only results in additional problems when the unmatched replacement stick does not want to play nice with your original stick or sticks.

Before you run Memtest again however, make sure you have the latest BIOS version for your motherboard installed. Use ONLY the stick you know is not causing you any problems when you update the BIOS, IF a BIOS update is available.
Yeah, i'm using the A2 and B2 slot, as the motherboard manual recommended. In fact, when i said switching RAM slot, only those two i used, the other didn't. I've tried single RAM on A2 slot, the suspect come with frequent freezing, can't finish boot up process. While the other one works just fine, no issues whatsoever. Only lag when the RAM usage almost full, unlike the suspect which freeze the system completely even if the RAM usage still low.

For BIOS, in my attempt to solve the problem, i've updated the BIOS. Well, i installed both RAM when updating the BIOS. The process says it succesful and the version is updated. Will it caused me a problem in the future if i leave it as it is now, or should i flash the BIOS again if i get a new RAM?

If there are no problem with my BIOS update (which the system says the update was succesful), then it's running the latest BIOS. I also restore BIOS default setting after each change i made and failed (when trying to install Linux Mint), the problem still persist sadly. I've tried enabling XMP and using Auto setting, the problem (freezings, errno 5) still persist sadly. As far as i remember when i run the memtest, it's after i update the BIOS.

So should i RMA the RAM now? Thanks